Samantha Baines
Samantha Louise Baines (born 28 November 1987 in Southwark, London) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her appearances in Lee Nelson's Well Funny People (BBC3), Hank Zipzer (CBBC) and A Royal Night Out .[1]
Early life
Baines grew up in Bromley,[2] where she attended Newstead Wood School for Girls. She was a member of the National Youth Theatre.[citation needed] She studied drama at Exeter University and trained in acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.[3]
Comedy career
Since 2010, Baines has been a member of all female sketch group Vinegar (formerly known as Vinegar Knickers), alongside Harriet Fisher and Katie Burnetts.[4] Vinegar were finalists in the NATYS 2014.[5] Vinegar took two comedy sketch shows to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011 and 2012, and received four and five star reviews.[6]
In 2011, Baines played Clarissa Ankle in the online gaming sensation Behind the Bytes, a sitcom based on the world of video games.[7] The character of Clarissa Ankle proved so popular that she had her own spin-off series, Bytes Breaks.[8]
In 2013, Baines played posh chav Steph, in Lee Nelson's Well Funny People (BBC3) (for which she also voiced Sexy Woman), and receptionist Susan in Hank Zipzer (CBBC).
Baines took the lead role of Kate in the play Blueprint (by Corinne Furness) in 2013, which she reprised in 2014 at the BikeShed Theatre. The role was an emotional look at the life of a woman dying of Leukaemia, for which Baines received positive reviews. Belinda Dillon of Exeunt Magazine stated that the role was "superbly played",[9] and the festival publication Wildfire said, "Samantha Baines takes the lead, giving a performance of amazing honesty and courage, which compels the audience to take her to their hearts".[10]
She performed her first spot at The Comedy Store in London in 2015.
In 2015, Baines starred as Mary in UK cinema release A Royal Night Out, directed by Julian Jarrold for Lionsgate and Ecosse Films.[11] Baines plays Mary in The Crown also directed by Julian Jarrold.
Baines writes comedy posts for the Huffington Post Comedy.[12] and Time Out. She also creates her own comic poetry which she posts via her personal blog.[13]
Radio
In 2014, Baines began co-hosting the show Ladies What Brunch on Hoxton Radio, with comedian Helen Sorren.[14] Baines and Sorren starred in the "Busy Battle" sketch by production company Rubber Public,[15] which went viral.[16] From 2014 to 2015 Baines also hosted her own solo show on Wandsworth Radio as well as the popular Week on the Web segment for Soho Radio. From 2015 onwards she appeared on various radio shows reporting the alternative news, doing the paper review and offering her opinions - shows include Woman's Hour on Radio 4,[17] XFM , BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Ulster, Absolute Radio and BBC London 94.9. Baines hosts her show Baines Plus One on Hoxton Radio which is also available as a podcast on iTunes.
Recognitions
Samantha won the What the Frock! Best Newcomer Award in 2015. One year into her stand up comedy career, Baines was a finalist in the Funny Women Awards 2014,[18] as well as a semi-finalist in the Laughing Horse New Act Competition 2014.[19]
She also won a Best Actress Award in 24 Hour Film Race for the short film New Model.[20]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Character | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lee Nelson's Well Funny People | Steph | BBC | Episode 3 |
| 2013 | Lee Nelson's Well Funny People | Sexy Woman (voice) | BBC | Episode 2 |
| 2014 | Hank Zipzer | Receptionist | CBBC | Episode 8 |
| 2015 | A Royal Night Out | Mary | Lionsgate and Ecosse Films | UK cinema release: 15 May 2015 |
| 2015 | Doctors | Harriet Bryson | BBC | Episode 110 |
| 2015 | The 95th | Leader of the Refugees | Post-production | |
| 2016 | Call the Midwife | Dot | BBC | Series 5, Episode 4 |
| 2016 | Sunny D | Janet | BBC | Series 1 (3 episodes) |
| 2016 | The Crown | Mary | Netflix | Series 1 |
References
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2180432/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18
- ^ Bromley Times http://www.bromleytimes.co.uk/news/bromley_comic_to_appear_at_bloomsbury_theatre_1_3234636
- ^ Harpers Bazaar http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture-news/going-out/funny-woman-samantha-baines
- ^ Vinegar website www.vinegarcomedy.com
- ^ Chortle Review http://www.chortle.co.uk/gigreview/2014/01/27/19472/natys_2014_final
- ^ Vinegar Press http://www.vinegarcomedy.com/#!press/aboutPage
- ^ Behind the Bytes YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/BehindTheBytes
- ^ Bytes Breaks YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqOKGx4N1fM
- ^ Exeunt Magazine http://exeuntmagazine.com/features/igniting-the-streets/
- ^ Actorum News http://www.actorum.com/wonderful-review-for-blueprint-at-the-bike-shed-theatre/
- ^ IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2180432/
- ^ Huffington Post Comedy Writers Profile http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/samantha-baines/
- ^ Poetry Blog www.samanthabaines.wordpress.com
- ^ Hoxton Radio http://www.hoxtonradio.com/ladies-what-brunch/
- ^ Rubber Republic
- ^ Huffington Post Article http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/30/comedy-sketch-busy-battle_n_5906610.html
- ^ Woman's Hour Episode http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pn3t0
- ^ Funny Women Magazine http://www.funnywomen.com/magazine/article/1431/meet-the-2014-funny-women-awards-finalists-samantha-baines
- ^ Laughing Horse New Act Competition http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/comedy/newactcomp.asp%7Caccessdate=2014
- ^ New Model (short film) http://www.festivalfocus.org/film/44917/new-model